“I’ve spent my career building businesses, creating value, and driving sustainable growth. But AKISHA is more than business, it’s legacy. It’s about preserving what matters and building bridges that last.”
Rudie FILON – CEO of AKISHA KK
Rudie FILON is a distinguished former EU diplomat with over 17 years of professional, local experience across the Asia-Pacific region (Japan, PR China, Papua New Guinea).. As the CEO of AKISHA KK, he leverages a deep understanding of international trade relations and cross-border business strategy, focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Key Achievements & Expertise
- Throughout his career, Rudie has managed and enhanced several of the EU’s most prominent business support initiatives, including:
Executive Training Programme (ETP) Japan: Enhancing human capital through intensive Japanese language training and profound understanding of local business customs. - EU-China Managers Exchange & Training Programme (METP): Educating European and Chinese business executives with the ultimate goal to foster sustainable business networks between European and Chinese markets.
- EU Gateway to Japan: Rudie launched this flagship programme in the 1990s. Specifically designed for EU SMEs, it provided high-impact matchmaking services and bespoke participation in trade fairs in Japan. The programme’s success over a decade-long run served as the blueprint for similar EU initiatives in Singapore and South Korea. In 2023, the format was officially relaunched as the EU Business Hub Japan/ROK.
Diplomatic Leadership
Most recently, as the Deputy EU Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Rudie was instrumental in launching the inaugural EU-PNG Trade & Investment Conference in Port Moresby in 2019. By 2022, the event had evolved into a cornerstone of EU business promotion in the region, attracting over 700 companies from 30 different nations.
Education & Languages
A native Dutch speaker, Rudie is equally fluent in English and French, possesses a working knowledge of German, and has a basic command of Japanese. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dutch Civil Law from Leiden University.